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A modern miscellany of writings by Marie-Paule Graham

Category Archives: Portfolio

Sometime ago, Lonely Planet published a hundred words I wrote. The brief was ‘a special moment experienced while in Europe’. My moment happened in Paris and it was the first time I considered leaving Britain for the Continent. The page has since been retired, so I thought I’d republish the text here.

“Sitting in a park in Saint Michel looking across the Seine at Notre Dame on a late spring afternoon, my eyes fell on some pigeons. They looked different. Not tearing manically across the streets at the threat of being trodden into the pavements as they do in Britain, but sauntering cheerfully about their business. I looked around me; even the most hurried were taking their time lounging on the backbeat of the city’s pulse, instead of running to keep up with it. I checked my heart rate; slower than I’m used to. So, this is Europe, a different world!”